Radial plain bearing for grease



'. June 20, 1939. N. A. PALMGREN 2 I I RADIAL PLAIN BEARING FOR GREASE LUBRICATION Original FiledSept. 20, 1955 Nils Arvid Palmgren UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RADIAL PLAIN BEARING FOR, GREASE LUBRIGATION Nils Arvid Palmgren, Goteborg, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Svenska Kullagerfabriken, Goteborg, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Original No. 2,053,203, dated September 1, 1936,

Serial No. 41,483, September 20, 1935. Application for reissue August 30, 1938, Serial No. 227,535. In Sweden October 20, 1934 6 Claims. (Cl. 308-122) My invention relates to improvements in radial sliding surface fitting the inner ring, and side plain bearings for grease lubrication and has discs fitted in a. lubricant proof manner to the for an object to provide within a bearing of this outer ring and rotatably sealing against parts type a reservoir for containing a supply of conof the inner ring which lie on a considerably sistent lubricant and means for automatically smaller diameter than the sliding surface of the 5 circulating such consistent lubricant toward and inner ring, whereby the side discs and bearing away from the sliding surfaces of the bearing. rings are designed to form closure members for Another object of the invention is to provide a the lubricant, and lubricant channels are probearing comprising outer and inner bearing rings vided in the inner ring which connect the slidformed with mating sliding surfaces with a ing surface to the closure members. 10 reservoir for containing a supply of consistent The invention is illustrated in the accompanylubricant and provided with means contained ing drawing, in which within the rings for automatically circulating Figure l is a side view of a radial plain bearing such consistent lubricant from the reservoir to for grease lubrication,

the sliding surfaces within the bearing and from Figure 2 is a sectional view of the same bear- 1.5,

thence to the reservoir. ing in an axial plane,

Another object of the invention is to supply a Figure 3 is a side view of a bearing according plain radial bearing with side enclosures fitted to another embodiment of the invention, and in a lubricant proof manner to the outer ring of Figure 4 is a section in an axial plane of the the bearing and rotatably sealing against parts bearing according to Figure 3. of the inner ring lying on a smaller diameter In Figures 1 and 2 the inner ring I is shown A than is the diameter of the sliding surface of of relatively high m in c oss Section- On such inner ring. the outside of the outer flanges 2 and 3 of the Another object of the invention is to provide inner ring is a cylindrical sliding surface. To lubricant channels in the inner ring connecting this sliding surface fits a corresponding sliding its sliding surface to the lubricant reservoir, the surface, formed on t e inside o t e u er r n sides of such sliding surface being in communica- On the outer ring 4, two closure'members 5, 6 tion with the reservoir. are applied in such a manner that the lubricant Modern plain bearings made to comply with cannot pass between the members and the outer hydrodynamic laws have hitherto almost excluri g. T members 5, extend d y 110- r, sively been designed for oil lubrication. A conwards the bearing cen e n have fl B, u sistent lubricant, however, offers very important wh ch fo m mov b e Se s a a st t e Outside Of advantages from a practical point of view, partly the inner flanges 9, Ill of the inner ring, there because a grease of suitable composition simulbeing a narrow space between the flanges I, 8, taneously acts as a lubricant and a protection of the closure members and the flanges 9, In, of

against the intrusion of foreign particles into the the inner ring.

bearing, and partly because a grease does not In the web ll of the inner ring a number of escape from the bearing housing, if the machine holes l2 are formed, and holes [3 in the outer assumes different positions when running. flange of the inner ring lead from the holes I2 Grease lubricated bearings have been in use a to the sliding surface. The closure members long time, but the bearing designs have not which are of annular cup form with the bottoms hitherto admitted the maintenance of fluid fricoutwards form a tight chamber or reservoir tion for any considerable time, without the aid around the bearing rings, which in practice is of continually working auxiliary machines for filled with grease. This chamber communicates providing a constant supply of lubricant. with the sliding surface through holes l2, l3 in The present invention relates to a bearing dethe inner ring, and with the sides of the sliding sign rendering possible an automatic circulation surface for supp y and exhaust resp v yof a consistent lubricant in a plain bearing, in The grease chamber or reservoir enclosed bethat a surplus of grease is constantly supplied to tween bearing rings and side discs is of annular the sliding surface from a grease chamber and form and is located nearer the bearing center a reconveyed to this chamber after having lubrithan is the sliding surface. The rotation of the cated the sliding surface. The bearing cominner ring causes part of the grease to follow the prises substantially an inner bearing ring, prorotation of the ring and thereby to be pressed vided with a sliding surface on the outside, an out through the holes 13 by the centrifugal force outer bearing ring, on the inside of which is a to the narrow space between the inner and outer ring, where a load carrying lubricant film is formed according to the hydrodynamic laws. Owing to the pressure in this film, the grease is gradually pressed out against the sides and returns automatically to the grease containing chamber. The grease will consequently automatically circulate under the action of the centrifugal force and the bearing pressure, without ever having to leave the bearing.

The bearing according to Figs. 3 and 4 is designed in practically the same manner as the bearing described above. The sliding surface on the outside of the inner ring I is however, spherical and fits into a corresponding surface onthe inside of the outer ring 4. The bearing is thereby self-aligning. The side discs 5, 6, are designed as deeper cups of annular form, so that the axial width from the bottom of one side disc to the bottom of the other side disc is greater than the axial width of the bearing rings. By this means a considerably larger supply of lubricant is assured in the bearing.

In the bearing according to Figures 3 and 4, plane thrust taking sliding surfaces are provided along the sides of the outer flanges 2, 3. They bear against pressure rings H, l5, which are supported by the spherical sliding surface of the outer ring 4. These rings are located inside the grease closure and do not disturb the desired grease circulation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A radial plain bearing for grease lubrication. comprising an inner bearing ring having a sliding surface on its outer periphery, an outer bearing ring having a sliding surface on its inner periphery fitting the surface of the inner ring, and closure members located on each side of the bearing, sealingly fixed to the outer ring and movably scaling against portions of the inner ring which lie on a substantially smaller diameter than the sliding surface of the inner ring, the closure members forming a closed reservoir chamber presenting annular chambers communicating on both sides with the space between the sliding surfaces, the parts forming annular chambers, channels or the like located laterally of the inner ring, there being grease channels formed in the inner ring extending from the reservoir chamber to the sliding surface and opening at the sliding surface intermediate of the ends thereof for throwing the grease by centrifugal force to the sliding surface whence it is moved by bearing pressure back to the reservoir, in order tocause a continual circulation of the lubricant within the bearing.

2. A radial plain bearing according to claim 1,. characterized thereby that the inner ring is of I-section and that the closure members seal against the outside of the inner flanges thereof.

3. A radial plain bearing according to claim 1, characterized thereby that the closure members consist of annular lubricant proof cups, the bottoms of which are turned outwardly from the middle plane of the bearing.

4. A radial plain bearing for grease lubrication comprising an inner bearing ring having a sliding surface on its outer periphery, an outer bearing ring having a sliding surface on its inner periphery fitting the surface of the inner ring, and closure members located on each side of the bearing, sealingly fixed to the outer ring and movably sealing against portions of the inner ring which lie on a substantially smaller diameter than the sliding surface of the inner ring, the closure members forming a closed reservoir chamber presenting annular chambers communicating on both sides with the space between the sliding surfaces, the parts forming annular chambers,

channels or the like located laterally of the inner ring, there being grease channels formed in the inner ring extending from the reservoir chamher to the sliding surface and opening at the sliding surface intermediate of the ends thereof for throwing the grease by centrifugal force to the sliding surface whence it is moved by bearing pressure back to the reservoir, in order to cause a continual circulation of the lubricant within 6 the bearing, the closure members consisting of annular lubricant-proof cups the bottoms being turned outwardly from the middle plane of the bearing and the axial width over the bottoms of such members being greater than the axial width of at least one of the bearing rings in order to accommodate an increased supply of lubricant in the bearing.

5. A plain bearing for grease lubrication having a sliding surface for taking thrust; the body of the rotating bearing member enclosing a cavity for grease located substantially nearer to the center of rotation of the bearing than is the thrust taking sliding surface and in direct radial communication with the inner annular edge of the thrust taking sliding surface.

6. A plain bearing for grease lubrication having a sliding surface for taking thrust, parts of the bearing enclosing a cavity for grease located substantially nearer to the center of rotation of the bearing than is the thrust taking sliding surface and in direct radial communication with inner annular edge of the thrust taking sliding surface, the cavity beinglocated Within the rotatable part of the bearing and provided with an annular opening at or adjacent to the inner annular edge of the thrust taking surfaces.

NILS ARVID PALMGREN. 

